And we've reached the end of the backlog! Good thing too because these weekly uploads were taking a lot out of me. I do have more chapters written for this story and the others but they're not at the editing stage. So I'm going to take a few days before resume writing.
Friday evening,
Jack stood before the front entrance to the Montem Society. The multi-story brick building loomed over, and the activity inside beckoned him. Were it any other day, Jack would have been impressed with the architecture. But the striped rabbit didn't come to admire the sights. He was there for one thing and one thing only: exchange the 1200 dollars in cash he was given for the bad check.
After Judy and Skye left his room, Jack spent the rest of Thursday evening wrestling with his conscience and pride over the loan. His pride wanted him to toss the envelope and continue finding other ways to raise the money. His conscience urged him to pay back the debt so that he could focus on what was truly important. His mind was a courtroom with both sides arguing back and forth before him over the money.
In the end, his conscience won out for once.
When Friday classes ended, Jack wasted no time returning to his room to prepare for the visit. As he was leaving for the Montem society, Skye dropped by to inform Jack that once he finished his business, the buck was to meet up with the study group in the dorm lobby. While initially confused since Jack quit, the vixen reminded him of the loan repayment. The rabbit understood and promised to meet with them after he finished his business with the Montem Society.
While walking to his destination, Jack reflected on his behavior towards the study group at the last meeting. This time nothing held back the feeling of regret, and Jack had to pause from being overwhelmed. The rabbit quickly shook the feeling away, knowing of the more pressing matter. There would be time later to apologize. And even if they denied letting him back into the group, Jack hoped for an amicable departure.
Standing on the stairs to the Montem Society, Jack knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. He heard the doorknob turn and saw the cougar Carson standing in the doorway.
The feline smiled. "Hey! Look who's back!"
The rabbit nodded. "Yep, your favorite patsy."
Carson invited him inside, and he accepted.
"Is McKinley here?" The rabbit asked.
"Yeah, he and the rest of the group are here."
Carson closed the door, and when Jack turned to follow the cougar, his eyes caught sight of Natalie sitting on the sofa and reading a book.
"Hey, is that your favorite spot?"
Natalie looked up from her book and saw Jack. But she didn't share his enthusiasm and instead showed distress. "Jack, what are you doing here?"
The buck reached into his coat and revealed the envelope of money. "Sorting myself out."
Natalie wanted to ask the origins of the money, but she knew there would be time for that later. Her demeanor relaxed, knowing that Judy's friend would soon free himself from the grips of the Montem Society.
"Jack!" The third voice caused both rabbits to look the other way, and they saw McKinley approaching. The wolf brought out a paw. "How are you doing?"
Jack quietly shook his paw.
The wolf's smile never left. "Did you come back for revenge?"
Jack shook his head. "Not really."
"Are you sure?" McKinley motioned his head towards the poker room. "A lot of money floating around in there."
Natalie could see what the wolf was trying to do. "Jack!"
McKinley pressed on before she could get another word in. "I see you brought some money. This could be your lucky night to leave with more."
Jack could feel the temptation to play return but pushed it down. "It's not much." He wished McKinley would let him raise the issue of the bad check. Yet the desire to play still had its embers.
"Every little bit counts." He motioned with his head again. "How about it?" The wolf could see that Jack was nervous about making the same mistake as the first time. "All it takes is a little guts."
Natalie was too horrified to say anything else at the scene before her. Frozen in fear from the ramifications. By the time she did find the words, it was too late when she saw Jack give a smile and nonchalant shrug.
"Why not? Maybe just for a couple of hands. Test out the waters."
His words caused McKinley to reveal his teeth when he smiled. He placed a reassuring paw on Jack's shoulder. "That's what I like to hear. The old college spirit!" The wolf started heading back to the room. "Come on. We're about to start another round."
Jack could feel the rush return at getting another opportunity to play. Having forgotten momentarily about Natalie, Jack went to address the white rabbit and saw the terrified look on her face. He gave her a confident smile. "Don't worry. I got this."
With that, Jack entered the belly of the beast once more.
By the time Natalie recovered, it was too late. The white rabbit thought about intervening or telling Judy of Jack's actions. But then she remembered how Jack turned down her assistance the last time. With great regret, Natalie closed the book and stormed to her room upstairs. Jack had to come out later in the night, and she did not want to be around when that happened, whether the striped rabbit was successful or not.
Meanwhile,
The rest of the study group and Colton were in a study room in the dorm's lounge with their computers, books, and notes out. Troy stood off in the corner, ready to assist when called upon. Colton had delivered on the facts, and the group was now working on creating the analysis questions for Jack upon his return. The horse had also volunteered to assist, stating that this would help further his analysis skills.
They decided to spend their Friday night giving Jack everything he needed so they could at least rest on Saturday. The law students selected one of the remaining cases for the analysis questions.
"Thanks again for the help, Colton," Judy said, looking up from her laptop.
The horse looked up from his books and nodded. "It's only fair after everything you and your friends did for me. And I see this as an opportunity to hang out, even if it is school-related."
"That's one way to put it," Nick said amusingly before checking on the rest of his friends. "How are we coming along?"
Skye rubbed her eyes. "Slowly getting there."
Clawhauser noted the time on his laptop and glazed at the study room door. "Where is Jack? We're not doing this for our own good."
"Either way," Fru Fru said while writing in her notes. "He's got a long weekend ahead of him finishing the other half of the reports."
Nick grumbled as he resumed his work. "He better show up."
Judy remained positive. "He will. Skye said she caught him as he was leaving."
The others looked to the vixen, who nodded in confirmation.
Judy suddenly paused her work when she felt her stomach rumbling. She then decided to address that need. "I'm going to order some Jackal John's." She moved her laptop and material aside and stood. "Anybody want a sandwich? I'm buying."
The rabbit received unanimous agreement.
"Alright then. Gargantuans and Veggies options good with you all?"
She received the same responses.
"Great!"
Judy took out her phone and hopped off the chair. While she dialed and walked away, Nick stretched his arms and stood.
"I'm going to pound some coffee."
Clawhauser quickly raised a paw. "Make it strong, please."
Nick chuckled as he headed for the door. "Don't worry. It will be very strong."
When Jack joined the table, the group consisted of the same mammals as the ones on his first visit. As the rounds progressed, luck seemed to favor Jack as he slowly accumulated a mound of chips. The striped rabbit didn't bother to count the amount, believing the knowledge would affect his streak. The situation was not made helpful by the 3Ls egging him to go all the way They were expecting the same Jack as before.
But this time, the rabbit channeled his experience. Mainly, he would tap out for the smaller pots while remaining for the larger ones. Jack did lose out on some pots, but not like that on the first visit.
Currently, Jack looked at the cards in his paws. None of them were of value, but he didn't let his expression give anything away. The dealer was calling for bets at the moment.
"Jack."
The rabbit looked up from his paws to see an unamused McKinley.
"Sorry." He placed a few chips into the pile. "I'll call you ten, and I'll raise you twenty-five."
The pig to his right sucked in a breath. "I smell a rat."
The porcupine to his left threw his cards on the table. "I'm out."
And so did the koala further to the left of Jack. "Fold."
But McKinley added a chip to the pile. "I'll call."
Carson and the pig did the same.
After another round of bets, the koala looked at the remaining mammals in play. "Cards, gentlemammals?"
McKinley, Carson, and the pig each exchanged one card.
Then came Jack's turn. "I'll stick with these cards."
The wolf looked uncomfortable, but the cougar enjoyed what was going on. Jack has not once exchanged any of his cards for the current round, which led to much speculation. For the striped rabbit, it was a method he wanted to test.
"Cold hand, Jack?" Carson pressed.
Jack met his challenge. "Care to stick around long enough to find out?"
He was taking a big gamble with his bluff and poker face. But the group played him dirty on his first visit, so Jack figured he'd repay the favor.
The cougar could only smile as the koala called for more bets.
McKinley placed a few chips into the pile. "I'll call for twenty-five."
Next was Carson's turn. The cougar looked between the cards in his paws and at Jack. After a few moments of anticipation, Carson let out a huge sigh. "I fold."
The pig threw his cards onto the table. "Same."
Jack looked at his cards once more before grabbing a few chips. "I'll see your twenty-five and raise you fifty dollars."
McKinley tapped his cards on the table, trying to figure out Jack's game plan. He then added to the pile. "Alright, let's do it again. Call your fifty and bump you fifty."
Jack then added more to the pile. "Then I'll see your fifty and raise you another fifty."
The wolf started to fidget when his turn came. Jack could pick up McKinley's tail wagging and the struggle to keep the appendage under control. The wolf looked at his cards and then at Jack who maintained his calm expression. There was no way he could have had a good hand from the beginning, but given the rabbit's lucky streak so far, it was not out of the realm of possibility.
Jack and the others watched in anticipation of McKinley's move. The long silence and delay were telling. Finally, the wolf let out a reluctant sigh and placed his cards face down on the table.
"I fold."
Having won the round, Jack triumphantly placed his cards onto the chip pile. McKinley went to see the cards when Jack intercepted and wagged a finger.
"Ah, ah, it wasn't all in. You don't get to see my cards."
The flustered wolf swallowed. "Yeah, sure."
The other 3Ls remained silent but were intrigued to see the confident wolf shaken. It seemed the canine had underestimated the striped rabbit and the merit behind his statement of previous poker experience.
Jack added his winnings to the pile as the cards were gathered and reshuffled.
"That last round was intense," The buck said. "Go on without me for a few hands. I'm going for a breather."
When Jack stepped out of the poker room, he noticed Natalie not in her spot. Thinking the white rabbit went to her room, Jack ascended to the second floor. There, he carefully listened for movement, not knowing Natalie's exact room. His hearing picked up sounds coming from a room, and he carefully approached it. Standing before the door, Jack took a chance and knocked a few times.
"It's open."
Recognizing Natalie's voice, Jack opened the door. The white rabbit turned around to see him entering.
Jack greeted with a smile. "Hi."
But Natalie did not return the gesture and could sense something else. "What? You tapped out already?"
Jack resisted the urge to binky. "Are you kidding? No way!" He then noticed the clothes and suitcases strewn about. "Going on vacation?"
Natalie went to grab more of her belongings. "Leaving."
Her answer shocked him. "How come?"
The white rabbit placed the items in one of her bags. "I had a contract with the Montem Society, and I'm breaking it on the grounds of morality."
"Morality?" The answer intrigued him.
Natalie shot Jack a serious look. "Yes, I don't like the lifestyle here and what it does to residents or visitors."
Jack placed his paws at the hips and raised an eyebrow. "Are you taking a shot at me?"
The white rabbit only crossed her arms. "Is there a reason why you want to see me?"
Jack did the same but more proudly. "Yes, something I want you to know, and my friends will know also once I'm finished. I said I would handle this by myself, and I am."
She huffed. "You're winning."
He nodded. "You bet your tail I am!"
"No, you're not," Her words wiped the smile off his face. "You're losing.
You've lost." Natalie pointed at her door. "As soon as you walked back into the game, you surrendered."
Jack's arms went limp. "Are you crazy?" He began flailing his arms. "I have a stack of chips worth both my bunny feet!"
"And you'll give it all back." Natalie shook her head. "You don't realize it, Jack. You're not playing for the money now. You're playing because you're afraid."
His nose started to twitch. "Afraid? What are you talking about?"
She did not hold back. "You are scared to death that you may not measure up to them. You may not have the guts to keep up. It's combat, Jack. This isn't a card game to you anymore. It's a battlefield. We've met the enemy, and they are us."
He could only stare at Natalie. "You're crazy."
Natalie stepped closer. "What are you doing in this school? Do you want to be a lawyer? Are you willing to face the facts? From my observation, you only want to play games and take chances." She pointed at the door again. "When you leave this school, you'll be gambling with mammals' lives, and everyone will lose if you continue on this path."
Jack nervously swallowed. "Not holding back are you?"
She pressed on. "Are you going to go back down there?"
Surprisingly, it was his pride that gave him strength. "I have no choice."
Natalie let out a resigned sigh. "Well then, I've said my peace. Can't say I didn't warn you."
She returned to packing as Jack stood in her room for another moment before silently leaving. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he faced the door to the poker game. Natalie's words continued to swell and wage war inside his head.
...
Who is she to lecture me about morality?! When she chose to live here!
At least I know when to quit. Natalie's voice manifested itself as his conscience, which made Jack pause.
I can quit too!
Have you?
I will once I earn that check back.
You had the chance to! Remember? The words made Jack pause again
Wait what?
You fool. I mean what I said earlier. You care so much more about playing that you forgot.
Now hold on!
Well then, what are you going to do?
...
All the while, Jack slowly approached the room, and before he knew it, the rabbit opened the door and entered the belly of the beast once more.
11:00 PM
In the lobby of their dorm, the rest of the study group and Colton waited for Jack to return. Leftover sandwiches and coffee lay on a table in the center. Laptops, books, and notebooks were closed and packed, and the work for Jack also sat on the table. They used the computers and printers in the lobby to print out the questions and facts. Once the tasks were complete, the group left the study room to wait for Jack in the lobby, sitting in a circle.
But the overall mood was full of concern and dejection as the hours passed.
Judy sighed heavily and lay the phone down as another attempt to reach Jack failed.
"Nothing?" Fru Fru asked.
The rabbit shook her head.
"Have you tried calling Natalie?" Skye asked.
"Yes, but she won't answer her phone, and I don't know her schedule either."
The conversation became silent once more as they continued to hold out for the striped rabbit.
Nick rubbed his head and let out a heavy sigh. "Jack should have been here hours ago."
The others remained silent, but the worst-case scenario was on their minds.
Ben was the one to finally voice it. "Do you know what I'm thinking?"
Skye clasped her paws. "…Same thing I'm thinking."
"No!" Nick cried. "Jack wouldn't do this to us. Not after everything we've done for him."
Colton looked at the gray rabbit. "Judy?"
She shook her head. "No…He wouldn't. He couldn't."
At that moment, the front doors opened, and the group turned to see who the mammal was. An anxious but smiling Jack Savage strolled into the building and became delighted when seeing the study group. But he was met with stares and glares as the doors closed behind him. The striped rabbit said nothing while calmly approaching the mammals.
Ben narrowed his eyes. "Where have you been, Jack?"
Jack stopped at the circle seating entrance. "You know where. The Montem Society."
Skye huffed. "Well, it took you a long time to run a simple errand."
"I know I'm sorry. I had a few things to sort out and encountered more trouble than expected. But I did bring back a souvenir." He approached the center table and reached into his coat. He brought out a long slip of paper and stretched it out. "One check. For twelve hundred dollars." The rabbit laid the source of his and the group's current trouble on the table.
A wave of relief fell over the room now that Jack's problem was over, but the feeling of joy and celebration remained absent.
"Terrific..." Nick said.
"And," Jack reached into the other pocket and pulled out a roll of bills tied together by a rubber band. "Six hundred dollars in cash. Half of what I owe." He set the money on the table. "I'll, uh, let you divide up the money."
Fru Fru ordered Troy to bring her to the table, and the polar bear obeyed. The Arctic shrew then placed a paw on the bills. "It was me."
Knowing the origin of the money, Jack approached her with a determined look. "Fru. I promise that you'll get the rest of the money. It will take time, but I will pay you in full."
Fru Fru narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you win this money?"
"Yes."
The shrew clenched her fists in anger and bared her teeth. "How dare you gamble with my money?!"
"But I couldn't help myself! I couldn't resist it! I tried to, but I won!"
She kicked the roll of bills and stomped her foot on the table. "JACK I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE MONEY!"
"I'm not talking about the money," Jack gave everyone else his attention. "Guys, I was on a winning streak. I was halfway there! I could have won it all back!" He paused. "But something happened. I don't know, but I had to quit." The rabbit turned to Fru Fru. "Playing with your money was wrong, and I suddenly realized it!" He turned to everyone else again. "I've done a lot of things wrong recently, and I'm sorry. I broke my contract with you all. I want to rejoin the group, not just to pay back the debt, but so you can help me to help kick this habit. Please?!"
The room became quiet after Jack said his piece. They looked at Jack with varying degrees of indifference and frustration. At least he wasn't giving them the bunny eyes.
"What do you say, Nick?" Ben finally asked.
The others looked to him for the verdict. He formed the study group and thus had the final say over membership. Exhausted, Nick looked between Jack, the rest of the study group, and the check and money on the table. The silence was killing them, and the longer it went, the longer it seemed that Jack would no longer be part of the study group.
Finally, Nick let out a sigh and stood from his chair. He stopped at the center table and stared Jack down. The fox could see his ears down and nose twitching. Finally, Nick placed a paw on the stack of papers of the remaining cases and pushed it forward to Jack. "I say he has a lot of work to do this weekend."
The striped rabbit could only smile at being given a second chance. The rest of the study group got up and gathered their belongings.
Clawhauser yawned and stretched his arms. "Goodnight, everyone." His eyes then fell on the striped rabbit. "Jack, I know this does not bears mentioning, but don't do this again."
Said mammal chuckled nervously. "I promise." Jack also made sure to reach out to Colton before the horse left. "Thank you, Colton. For everything."
The horse nodded. "You're welcome. I'll see you around."
Jack watched Skye approached the table and pushed a Jackal John's bag and a rabbit-sized coffee cup to him. "I hope you didn't eat before coming here. This was dinner earlier."
Jack's ears perked as he eagerly accepted the items. "Nope! Thank you so much! I'm starving!" He then quickly noticed something about the coffee when grabbing it. "Uh…the coffee's cold."
Skye gave a deadpan expression. "I know."
Jack's ears drooped again as he immediately understood the implication. "Right. I'll just heat this up in the microwave then."
"Good idea. Good night." The vixen then turned to leave.
"Good night."
While everyone else bid each other goodnight, Fru Fru approached Jack. "We'll discuss on Monday how you can pay back the rest of the money."
Jack nodded as he gathered his friends' work. "I'll be waiting."
Fru Fru snapped her fingers, and Troy picked her up in his paws. Soon, Jack was the only mammal in the lobby. The rabbit placed the sandwich bag and cold coffee onto the case reports and carefully collected them all. As Jack walked to his room, he reflected on the events and realized how fortunate he was to have good friends.
Meanwhile, outside the building,
"You did the right thing, Nick." Judy said, placing a paw on his shoulder.
"Well, I did select him for a reason. But Jack will be more scrutinized until we're sure he doesn't fall back into his habits."
"I understand. I believe Jack can prove himself trustworthy again."
"Anyways, do you want to stop by Pit's Pita for a late-night meal and unwind? I'm feeling for something extra, and I'm buying."
Judy wrapped her arm around Nick. "Only if we get to bike together and I get a fluffy seatbelt."
Nick just smiled as he and Judy made a turn to the bike racks.
Much thanks to the folks at ZAA for their feedback and suggestions